Page 32 of The Grump I Loathe

“I don’t have to adhere to your business attire rules out here, Lord LockMill.”

There was nothing office appropriate about the length of that dress, but now that she’d mentioned the office, I was envisioning Eddie perched on her desk, long legs crossed as the fabric inched up her thighs to reveal?—

Jesus!My mouth went dry at the thought. I needed to get out of here before I did something I’d regret. Where was Max?

She tugged at my jacket. “Is this what you call club chic?”

“We can’tallpull off a gorgeous mini dress.”

Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Have you even tried? You might surprise yourself.”

I rolled my eyes, her teasing dissolving some of the tension. I still couldn’t pull my eyes off her, but at least I could breathe again. “Do you want a drink?”

She shook her head. “Not drinking tonight. I just wanted to dance. Does Lord LockMill dance?”

“No,” I said immediately.

“Does Connor?”

That got a smile out of me. I had whiskey in my veins and a gorgeous woman staring up at me, and yeah, I could admit that Connor, the guy who wasn’t a dad or an ex-husband or a CEO, actually liked to dance. He liked the freedom of moving and not having to think. I held my hand out for her. “Let’s find out.”

Eddie released an excited giggle as I twirled her onto the dance floor. We stood close enough that I could smell the vanilla in her body lotion. My hands automatically fell to her waist. She wove her arms around my neck, and I gave into the heady rush, letting my hands drift over her hips to the small of her back. My thumbs caught in the cutouts of her dress, brushing against soft skin.

I was surprised at how well we fit, and from the look on her face, the feeling was mutual. “You look surprised,” I said. She bit her lip, and I braced myself for whatever was about to tumble out of her mouth.

“Well, your lordship, I am.”

I frowned at that. “I thought you wanted to dance with Connor? If you were expecting to dance with Lord LockMill, then I’d need to speak with the DJ about a waltz.” That had the result I was after, and Eddie gifted me with a giggle. I spun her around, and under the strobing lights she looked flushed.

Then she twisted in my arms, nestling her back to my front, grinding against me as the music drew us together. “How about now, bossman?” she teased. “Still wanting that waltz?”

I most definitely did not. With Eddie pressed tight against me, alcohol singing in my veins, and the bass thumping in my head, it was easy to forget all the reasons this was a bad idea. And very easy tofeelall the reasons this could be a great idea.

Then she turned around to look at me again, eyes flashing with something like desire, and I snapped out of my delusion. Alarm bells sounded in my head. She was a goddamn employee! There were a million reasons not to do this, some of whom were presently in the bar and could see us on the dance floor. I reared back.

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked.

“Nothing,” I said, voice thick. “Gonna grab another drink.”

I whirled away from her, loosening my tie as I stalked across the floor, trying to ignore the way my entire body was throbbing for her.

Relationships between LockMill employees are forbidden, I shouted in my mind. This couldn’t go anywhere. Itwouldn’tgo anywhere. Because nothing was happening.

I spotted Max near the bar. He shot me a giddy smile and a thumbs-up. I was going to kill him.

10

EDDIE

“Like what the hell was that?” Cassie asked for the millionth time since leaving the club.

“I don’t know,” I hissed, trying to get the apartment door open. My head was spinning, and I couldn’t even blame it on alcohol since I was as sober as a judge.

“He was all over you!” Cassie gyrated her hips in a way that made my blood rush to my cheeks.

“I know.” I yanked on the doorknob and twisted the key, trying to shake the memory of Connor pressed against me, the heat of his hands igniting sparks of pleasure in my gut.

“Like all up in your business,” Cassie continued, doing a tipsy little stumble. “It was very ‘get a room,’ you know?”